Accepting Personal Responsibility

The Temporal Self Reliance section tells us that we need to "Accept personal responsibility for spiritual strength, health, education, employment, finances, food, and other life-sustaining necessities." Tanya related how it was easy to take care of her responsibilities when she was in school and had to complete assignments. It was easy to take care of projects and duties at work when you have a boss giving you deadlines. But now that she is a stay-at-home mother of an adorable toddler, she finds it harder to find the motivation to get things done. She said, "I'm not enough to do these things; I'm weak. I need a push to get up and going. I can see what I ought to be, and how I fall short."

Candy advised that if we can take care of the "have-to" work by a certain time, then we have more time the rest of the day to do "wants." Michele referenced Moses 5:11:

"And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient."

Michele pointed out that if it were not for our mortal experience, we would not be able to have children, and we would not be able to experience joy. We are sanctified and can have joy in part because of the difficulties of having children.

So what can we do to feel more complete, more motivated? Do the best things first, and rely on the Lord for help. He knows what our needs are.